Rosie’s indrawn breath cuts off, and my blood turns to ice. Sin’s hand flexes against mine as dread pulses through the bond. Because we’ve just realized why Rosie can sense Irena.
A tall woman steps out from the enemy’s shield. Her long black hair is pulled back from her face, and her vivid green eyes stand out against her bronze skin.
Rosie’s fingers interlace in mine, and I know she sees it too – a pink, glowing light over Irena’s collar.
Lilanthara’s power.
“Irena?” Rosie whispers, and my heart cracks at the raw hope in her voice.
Irena doesn’t bat an eye as she strides forward, not stopping until she reaches Leon’s side.
Rosie’s nails dig into my skin, and I let her squeeze as hard as she pleases. It’s the only thing I can offer her right now, as she watches the love of her life look right through her.
“Oh, she has no idea who you are,” Need tuts in a mocking tone. “She has a new Keeper now.”
“Impossible,” Rosie spits.
“Is it?” Need asks. “It’s interesting, the twin phenomenon. I didn’t realize how deep the similarities ran until, of course, I had Nymara study genetics. It was enough to pique my curiosity, and I couldn’t help but wonder whether a Keeper bond could be duplicated in a twin.” She turns to Lilanthara. “Show them,” she orders.
A faint pink glow appears over Lilanthara’s wrist as she glides over to Irena, reaching for her neck. A moment later, Irena’s collar disappears, but pink glowing threads linger. Some dance around her neck, while others snake into her flesh, looking like parasitic tendrils. Irena doesn’t react, continuing to stare blankly ahead.
My stomach sours. Two Destroyers against one. This is worse than I could have imagined.
“Is it a chain? Can you remove it?” Sin asks in a low tone, not taking his eyes off our two powerful opponents.
I swallow. “I’m not sure. I could try to–”
“Don’t you dare,” Rosie growls, and I know she’s worried I’ll lose control and hurt her mate.
Need’s twisted smile grows, and I know she isn’t finished. “I believe we’ve given you more than enough time to gather your army. Because I assure you, Vivian, whatever pathetic force you’ve mustered won’t be enough. Now, before I order a slaughter, I’m going to give you a chance to reconsider.”
“I’ll even show you what you’re up against, to ensure you make an educated decision,” she continues before commanding, “Remove the cloak.”
Leon’s power pulses, and Sin immediately stiffens, his own power flaring. But no attack comes. Instead, it looks like a mirage is dissipating as Need’s shields fall away.
My stomach lurches. We were supposed to be outnumbered twenty-to-one.
This isn’t twenty-to-one.
Behind us, I catch murmured curses from our own army, still invisible.
One of them sends a prayer to the Fates, and I can’t help but feel irritated. The Fates are the ones who got us into this mess.
Still, I understand the wish for divine intervention, because this… this isn’t good.
Thousands of soldiers stand in formation behind Need. It’s easy enough to differentiate between the different realms. The fae are wearing their typical chrome, Otherworld soldiers wear silver, and the angels are clad in brilliant white.
These angels are different from the few I’ve met. Massive, white, feathered wings extend from their backs.
But that isn’t what shocks me.
There’s an entire other army with them, with almost as many soldiers as the fae. Except they aren’t living – they’re ghosts.
Line upon line of transparent spirits stand between us and the corporeal army. Every one of them has a collar around their neck, and the metal glows a sickly pink.
I recognize them instantly – they’re the same collars we saw in the Underworld. Any relief I feel about finally confirming who’s behind the ghost disappearances vanishes when I spot the old woman from the Beast Realm, the Harvester, standing on the border of the ghost army.
That can’t be good.
